Overstrand keeps it green
Another feather in the cap for Overstrand Municipality as it takes second place in the Western Cape 2017 Greenest Municipality Competition!
The competition was won by Swartland Municipality (Malmesbury) while Hessequa Municipality (Riversdale) came third.
Overstrand won the categories for Waste Management, Water Conservation & Water Management, as well as Biodiversity Management.
Overstrand won the Waste Management category seven times in the last nine years and won the Water Management category four times in the last five years.
The Municipality was also recognised for innovative projects/practices in water (for the long term operation and maintenance contract of the bulk water services to improve efficiencies) and waste ('Rethink the Bag Plastic shopping bags) in the same competition.
The Greenest Municipality Competition Awards were handed over by Western Cape Premier Helen Zille and Anton Bredell, Minister of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, at a function at the Lord Charles Hotel in Somerset-West on 27 November.
In his keynote address MEC Bredell said: “The Greenest Municipality Competition Awards celebrate the constant hard work which makes our towns function, the passion of officials who carry out work against challenging odds, and the spirit of co-operation and efforts to use our resources wisely for the benefit of all our citizens.”
Elements that were evaluated for the Greenest Municipality Competition include waste management, energy efficiency and conservation, biodiversity management, water management and conservation, air quality management, leadership, institutional arrangements and public participation.
Along with scoring second place in the overall competition, Overstrand also secured prize money of R70 000. The competition is arranged by the Western Cape Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, and will henceforth be held every 2 years, with the next round set for 2019.
